The present invention relates generally to managing power loss situations in a utility grid, and more particularly to prioritizing data packets being transmitted during a power loss condition in an advanced metering infrastructure.
Whenever a power loss condition occurs within a utility grid, immediate notification of the power loss back to the head end is critical if the problem is to be rectified with as little delay as possible. In an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), meters and other devices are typically equipped with some type of communication system, e.g., a wireless Internet connection, a cellular telephone, etc., and often act as nodes within a network to route data. Such communication systems allow devices to, among other things, report power loss situations. However, devices such as meters are often only equipped with a very time limited back-up power supply (e.g., a super capacitor). Accordingly, such devices have only a very short period to transmit a power loss condition.
In a mesh network, the meter acts not only as a source of data, but also as a router that is responsible for relaying all types of data, e.g., status messages. Thus, during power loss, there may be several packets that may need to be transmitted, but not enough power to transmit all the packets. In the case where multiple nodes experience power loss, the ability of a mesh network to effectively communicate power loss data is further diminished as any number of devices may power off before power loss data can be routed through the network.